Help me figure out my cell phone issues

Loren Michael

Hey, so, I just got back from China, and I was spoiled by their no-nonsense, cheap cell phone plans. Now I'm in America again, and I need to get a new phone/plan/whatever.

I love sending messages. I hate talking on the phone.

I understand that, in America, sending messages is often extremely expensive for cell phone users.

I also understand that different regions in America often have vastly different plans and networks. I live in the Northern Michigan area, where apparently phones don't actually have sim cards.

Any suggestions? Is there an internet-based solution? Any broad guidelines you can throw my way? I want to be able to send a fuckton of messages without being reamed by the American cell phone industry.

Chanus

You can get plans with unlimited texting for fairly cheap from any cell phone provider.

matt has a problem

Sprint's "Simply Everything" plan is pretty decent. Voice, data, text and all the Sprint-branded services on your phone, unlimited, for $99 a month. I believe they have one that includes mobile broadband (the card you plug into your laptop) for $149 a month. It's available with the Palm Pre, too.

Whether you can get it in northern Michigan though...

Unearthly Stew

Figure out who you're going to be texting most, and try to get their network. I know Verizon (and probably Alltel by extention) has unlimited in-network texting.

wunderbar

Chanus wrote: »

You can get plans with unlimited texting for fairly cheap from any cell phone provider.

This. It's like, $15/month for unlimited texting. Get a cheap phone plan and just add that on.

illig

1. ask around to determine which provider has the best service in your area (don't trust their maps, or whatever... ask your friends/family/coworkers for opinions)
2. get the cheapest talking plan, and an unlimited texting plan (usually $15 or so)

xThanatoSx

Unearthly Stew wrote: »

Figure out who you're going to be texting most, and try to get their network. I know Verizon (and probably Alltel by extention) has unlimited in-network texting.

Yes, Alltel is counted as "in-network" for purposes of making calls and texts if you're on Verizon.

Sticking with Verizon, if all you want to be able to do is message and use data and not be on a calling plan, this looks like it might be right for you.

MichaelLC

The plans aren't the issue, well, relatively, it's what happens when you go over your minute/send one too many texts that get you.

We've got Sprint Unlimited and for 3 phones, it's about $150 total.

Loren Michael

Let me clarify that "cheap" is a relative term. I was paying just over fifteen bucks a month in China and getting amazing service in pretty much every respect. I realize that's not quite realistic here, but that's the ideal.

Virgin Mobile has a plan for unlimited texting and ten cents a minute talking for $20/mo if I understand the page correctly, but I have only the vaguest idea if Virgin Mobile is any good. Does anyone else have experience with them?

wunderbar

Loren Michael wrote: »

Let me clarify that "cheap" is a relative term. I was paying just over fifteen bucks a month in China and getting amazing service in pretty much every respect. I realize that's not quite realistic here, but that's the ideal.

Virgin Mobile has a plan for unlimited texting and ten cents a minute talking for $20/mo if I understand the page correctly, but I have only the vaguest idea if Virgin Mobile is any good. Does anyone else have experience with them?

Virgin Mobile runs on Sprint's network(100% owned by Sprint now too), so anywhere sprint has coverage, Virgin has coverage.